Music transcends all frameworks of religion, culture and even genre. Both music and spirituality do not need to be defined as separate, they are in fact of the same essence.
Music is spiritual–ask Jon Batiste–composer, arranger, pianist and singer. He’s the music director and bandleader on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” His latest album is called “We Are.”
With this album, Jon shared that what he wanted was “to reaffirm people’s humanity when it’s been under such duress and when it’s under attack. Thinking about people who exist in the world at this time, you’re constantly bombarded with so much via politics, via all of the mass media. Everything is kind of targeting people, pushing them to pick a side. And I wanted to articulate through the music and through my presence there that we’re all in this together. We’re all existing in this space, this city. And ultimately, this is our time. This is our world. We have to come together and understand that or else everything is going to completely disintegrate.” How beautifully and soulfully put.
Jon has actually been accused of being a “joy giver”. What a wonderful label. And I must admit, even though I enjoy all the songs on this album, once I heard “Freedom”, I couldn’t help feeling some wonderfully soulful joy, so I wanted to help Jon share it with you.
Jon goes on to share “That’s it–the practice of being a joy giver and bringing people that sense of catharsis and release is a spiritual practice for me. And the only way that it can be as powerful as it is–as powerful and profound as it can be is if I face the truth and if we face the truth collectively. I think art is really a way to point to the truth, shine a light on the truth. Art is a window to the truth. And there’s joy in knowing, even if the truth is painful, even if the truth has things about it that we don’t want to accept and are not willing to accept. The only way that we’re going to continue to be able to fight it and move forward is if we know the truth and if we can have moments where we release why–when we were enslaved we sung spirituals and hymns and songs of freedom. It’s why when John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr. were on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were singing spirituals. That’s why we have the music.”
Isn’t that a glorious word, freedom? We all realistically would like to be set free of one thing or another, correct? This song is whatever we want it to be–it’s time to feel joyful about our newly found freedom. I challenge you to do a search for it–”Freedom” by Jon Batiste and just try not to feel joyful. (To be used/experienced as frequently as necessary.)
Here are just a few of the comments about his new album that I found SO endearing:
- Watching Jon dance here, hearing him sing this had me in tears of joy. I feel uplifted! Jon Batiste is a conduit between Heaven and Earth, Soul and Groundedness. Thank you, Jon, for all the gifts you bring. Thank you for the healing. And I defy anyone to watch this and not dance!
- If that isn’t a “joyful noise” then I don’t know what is. Was dancing, tearing up and then clapping in my kitchen watching! Jon & his song and video feels like an antidote and vaccine for 4 + long years filled with hate, ignorance and indecency. Jon & this song is everything that is good, right and decent.
- I just lost the person who would have loved this song the most. Now, she can experience true freedom. Thanks Jon, I can feel her spirit in this song.
- The science is clear on this one: Jon is a musical genius. That’s a song that travels through minds and hearts faster than any virus, faster than hate. Such love. Such respect I have for him and his skill!
For our holistic wellness, Warriors–let’s find our soulful joy through “Freedom” or whatever music makes your soul sing!.
Covid19 Humor: I’m not buying a 2022 calendar until I see a trailer.